The mediating role of trait emotional intelligence, prosocial behaviour, parental support and parental psychological control on the relationship between war trauma, and PTSD and depression

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI), prosocial behaviour, parental support, and parental psychological control on one hand and PTSD and depression symptoms on the other hand after exposure to war-traumatic events among Palestinian children and adolescents in the Gaza Strip. Methods: The sample consists of 1,029 students aged 11–17 year old. Of them 533 (51.8%) were female and 496 (48.2%) were male. The following measures were used in the study: War-Traumatic Events Checklist (W-TECh), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire – Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF), prosocial behaviour (as part of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - SDQ), parental support scale,Parental Psychological Control scale,Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Symptoms Scale (PTSDSS) and the depression scale.Results: 88.4% (N: 909) experienced personal trauma, 83.7% (N: 861) witnessed trauma to others, and 88.3% (N: 908) have seen demolition of property during the war, mostly by boys. The results also demonstrated that the prevalence of PTSD diagnosis according to DSM-V is 53.5% (N: 549). Further, there is a negative correlation between trait EI and prosocial behaviour in one hand and parental psychological control and PTSD and depression symptoms in the other hand. Likewise, a negative correlation was found between parental support and depression symptoms. Low trait EI and parental psychological control significantly mediated the relationship between exposure to war trauma, and PTSD and depression. In addition, negative parenting factors and low prosocial behavior significantly predicted depression. Conclusion: Trait EI and parental support can be utilized in interventions to empower children and adolescents’ emotional abilities, to strengthen their resilience in facing traumatic event exposure, and thus reduce its effect on PTSD and depression symptoms.